Boho Balayage and Babylights Hair Color at Aurelio Salon & Spa in Howell, NJ

Sometimes a guest walks in not knowing exactly what they want — just knowing they want something. That is one of our favorite conversations to have at Aurelio Salon & Spa in Howell, NJ, because it gives the stylist room to really listen, assess the guest’s hair and features, and make a thoughtful recommendation. In this case, the guest wanted highlights but didn’t know what to ask for — which opened the door to a beautiful boho balayage and babylight combination inspired by earthy, dimensional spring color.

The Technique

The starting canvas had a root color and overall tone that worked as a beautiful natural base — dark enough at the root to create contrast, with the right underlying warmth to support a blend of ash and brown tones through the mid-lengths and ends. The stylist chose to frame the face closely with lighter pieces, then added a small number of highlights distributed throughout the rest of the hair to maintain a natural, proportional feel. For these highlights, professional lightener on 30-volume developer was used to achieve the level of lift needed.

Babylights — very fine, closely placed highlights that mimic the natural lighter variation found in children’s hair — were worked throughout specific sections to add diffusion and softness between the more defined painted pieces. The combination of painted highlights and babylights is what gives this style its depth and dimension. Rather than a uniform block of lightness, the result looks like the color grew in naturally over time.

After lifting and toning, the final result was a soft ash-brown blend from root to end — the root depth flowing naturally into the painted lighter sections, with the babylights adding subtle brightness throughout. The finish was exactly the kind of dimensional, lived-in color that is most flattering and most low-maintenance at the same time.

About This Approach

The combination of hair painting and babylights is one of the most versatile and flattering highlight techniques available. It works across a wide range of starting colors and skin tones and produces results that grow out gracefully — often requiring fewer maintenance appointments than traditional foil highlights. Ask your colorist at your next visit whether this approach is a good fit for your hair. Visit our women’s hair coloring page, browse our stylist gallery for more color inspiration, or view our full salon menu.

Call 732-303-0052 to book a balayage or highlight consultation at Aurelio Salon & Spa in Howell, NJ.

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